Kits

History

After Nakajima obtained a production license to manufacture Douglas DC-2 airliners in 1935, the Japanese airlines decided to sponsor the development of a smaller airplane to serve routes that they perceived the DC-2 to be too large for. The result was the development of the AT-1, an eight passenger twin engine aircraft which closely resembled a scaled-down DC-2. The prototype first flew in 1936, and was of all metal construction except for the control surfaces, which were plywood. Power was originally provided by Nakajima Kotobuki 2-1 radial engines of 580 hp. with fixed pitch wooden propellers. Production models used the Kotobuki 41, rated at 710 hp, with variable pitch metal props. These were designation AT-2.

Welcome back! Last time we had just completed the interior and internal framework, front end and cockpit of the big 1/32nd Scale HKM Lancaster Mk.IB. This second installment will bring the engines, wings, fuselage, bomb bay and wheel-wells together, leaving the final assembly and finish for the last segment of this three-part review.

Work is going along smoothly, with just a few exceptions here and there. While I had a few problems here and there, the overall build is simple and straightforward, and the fit is excellent. Let's get back to work!

Things to Consider Before You Start

This is a big model. Accordingly, I had to build some jigs to hold components while they were being assembled and finished. Working with 1/2" Gator Board and HoldTheFoam adhesive, I constructed three jigs that held each wing and the fuselage in such a way as to allow the assemblies to be flipped upside down so I could work on both sides (top and bottom). The three jigs were also designed to fit together into the original box, for transport to and from shows.

HMS Submarine M.1 was an innovative but ill-fated attempt to overcome the poor performance and high per-shot cost of contemporary torpedoes. The unique solution was to add a 12-inch Mark IX gun, initially intended for battleship use. The gun was to be fired at a flat trajectory on the surface, or even at periscope depth (!) through use of a simple bead gunsight. 3 of the 4 M-class vessels that were ordered were actually completed, but operational results were poor at best. To reload, the sub had to surface, and it has been reported that the Royal Navy was reluctant to risk the possibility of German replication of this concept. M1, the first in the class, did not see wartime service, and sadly was lost in a collision with a Swedish transport vessel in 1925, and was discovered again in 1999, reported in a BBC television documentary airing the next year.

Brengun has released a few different kits of the Ohka and in several scales. This is the latest which is the Model 22 and in 1/72 scale. This was a purpose built rocket powered Kamikaze attack aircraft. It was used against allied ships towards the end of world war two.

In the box is:

1 light grey sprues

1 clear sprue

1 decal sheet

11 x resin parts

1 instruction booklet

The sprue is well molded with very little flash and great detail. The resin parts are to allow you to make the three aircraft wooden stands used to support the aircraft ready for fitting to the carrier aircraft.

Construction

First is the construction of the cockpit the one half of the fuselage which is well detailed for the scale. I did add some more detail to the instrument panel as it needs some to give it more realism.

The next stage is the addition of weight in the nose, which I do feel was not required when mounting on the provided wooden stands. The fuselage joins need a little filing and you need to be careful lining it up correctly.

Monowheel Background (from the instructions)

Lois & Co. was a British industrial combine, a group of businesses manufacturing military and sporting bicycles, motorcycles, iron castings, machine tools, and hard chrome process. It was founded by Spencer Lois, who had a passion for new innovative ideas, in the city of Birmingham.

Motor bicycles were added to bicycle products in 1910. The Lois & Co. Monowheel Mk.I was exhibited at the 1913 Olympia Show, London for the 1914 season. In November 1916 Lois & Co. launched their first military monowheel after a big contract with the British Ministry of Armaments.

The British Army version was armed with a Lewis machine gun mounted on a side swing arm. The ability of the monowheel to overcome trenches along with its high-speed performance and great firepower made it very popular with troops. Hundreds of monowheels were given to the French army (who mounted the FM Chauchat), ANZAC and Greek army as military aid. Several monowheels were captured by the Imperial German Army and Ottoman Army who rearmed it with the MG 08/15.